THE EARL OF AIRLIEwished to ask the noble Earl who represented Her Majesty's Government in that House, whether a squadron of steamers had been sent to cruise near the Sea of Azoff, with a view 2071 to the blockade of the Russian ports; and whether any gunboats of a sufficiently light draught of water to enable them to pass the Straits of Kertch had been attached to the Black Sea fleet?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that he could assure his noble Friend that this subject had not been overlooked by the Government. Instructions with respect to it—some of a general, and others of a particular nature—had been sent out to the Admiral in command of the Black Sea fleet; and gunboats had also been sent out for purposes analogous to those to which he had referred. He thought, however, that both the House and his noble Friend would see the inconvenience that might arise from giving categorical answers to questions of this nature.
THE EARL OF AIRLIEthen moved for a return of the quantity of wheat and other grain imported into the United Kingdom from the port of Taganrog and the other ports in the Sea of Azoff, in each of the following years—1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, and 1853. In doing so, the noble Earl remarked that considerable quantities, both of grain and iron, had left the Russian ports in the Sea of Azoff since the commencement of the present war, and that, in fact, he believed that the provisioning of the Russian army in the Crimea had been principally conducted from the ports of that sea, and by means of vessels navigating it.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that it was quite true that the provisioning of the Russian army had been effected by means of the navigation of the Sea of Azoff. The attention of the Admiral commanding in chief in the Black Sea had, however, been directed to the best means of preventing this for the future, and he hoped that his efforts for that purpose would be attended with success.
§ Then the said Motion was (by leave of the House) withdrawn.